Earth Protect Blog

Powering Nations: Largest Solar Power Plant

Florida Power & Light Company (FPL) has announced the near completion of its DeSoto Next Generation Solar Energy Center in Arcadia, Florida. This solar power plant will be producing electricity by the end of month. This project is ahead of its schedule. The plant has an impressive number of 90,000 photovoltaic panels. Experts claim that this solar power plant will generate around 110MW of electricity by the end of 2010. This will provide Florida with the distinction of the second largest solar power-producing state in the country.

FPL is building three commercial-scale, non conventional solar power plants. They are DeSoto Next Generation Solar Energy Center, Florida, solar energy centers in Martin County and at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center. Together, these will produce a total of 110 megawatts of capacity by the end of 2010. They are expected to make Florida the second largest solar power-producing state in the country.

FPL Vice President and Chief Development Officer Eric Silagy shares his views with the world, “Large-scale solar projects such as FPL’s DeSoto Next Generation Solar Energy Center provide Florida with the opportunity to create and attract more clean-energy jobs and produce millions of dollars in new revenue for local governments while reducing greenhouse gas emissions and fighting the effects of climate change. FPL is proud to lead the development of clean, renewable solar energy in Florida, and we are positioned to build even more over the next two to three years if the state`s legislative and regulatory leaders continue to support solar energy.”

The DeSoto Next Generation Solar Energy Center was constructed in less than a year. The energy produced by this plant will power more than 3,000 homes. There are some pleasant side effects too. The DeSoto Next Generation Solar Energy Center also generated more than 400 jobs while this project was going on. The county will also be benefited because it will receive annual tax revenues that will amount to $2 million for schools and other local services by the end of next year.

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What is so endearing about the clean and green energy? The answer is it produces desirable side effects. This solar plant will not consume fuel, use no water and produce no waste. The DeSoto Next Generation Solar Energy Center will reduce the release of more than 575,000 tons of greenhouse gas emissions into the atmosphere. It translates into taking more than 4,500 cars off the road every year. If we look further we will find that the electricity generated by this facility will reduce the use of fossil fuels in Florida by more than 277,000 barrels of oil and 7 billion cubic feet of natural gas.